For the first time, popular indie Android ROM CyanogenMod has hit 5 million Android users in the wild. While that's only around a half a percent of the nearly 1 billion users on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) popular Linux-based smartphone, tablet, and television platform, the third-party ROM has nonetheless been wildly popular among technophiles.

If there's one thing holding CyanogenMod and its ilk back from wider use, it's carrier pushback. Some carriers like Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc. (LON:VOD), and AT&T Inc. (T) have fought back trying to prevent users from using bootloader unlocking tools, which they claim compromise security.

I was looking at rooting my daughter's Samsung Vibrant, but as I have never done it before, Googled for how to do it and while I found several and also complaints about failures on doing it, there were also help on how to restore the back to original in case of failure.

If the average person can search for ways to root a phone, there are also a lot of material out there for restoring it.

Yup. Its alot like modifying your car. Most people wouldnt bother, but those that want to and know how to can make it better. I have been running CM and other custom ROM's on my GS3 since a month after I got it. I thought alot of OEM PC's were bad with "Winbloat", but Samsung takes the cake. It definitely deserves its own term "Sambloat"

quote: If the average person can search for ways to root a phone, there are also a lot of material out there for restoring it.

The average person does not even know what rooting a phone is. My phone is rooted, but even my wife wouldn't know what I was talking about if I told her my phone was rooted. I work in IT and I would say of the folks on my team maybe 2 of them would even know what that is. The average person would not even know to Google to root anything. The concept is foreign to most.

If you are rooting your daughter's Vibrant, then you sir/mam are above average. :)